James Taylor Quartet

When Medway Valley psychedelic-mod hopefuls the Prisoners disbanded in 1986, organist James Taylor assembled a jazz-influenced quartet comprised of fellow Prisoner bass player Alan Crockford, ex-Daggermen drummer Simon Howard, and Taylor’s brother, David, on guitar. A mini-album of cover versions, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, featured groovy organ-based instrumentals like "Blow Up." A powerful remake of "The Theme from Starsky and Hutch," found the group central to the growing, London-based acid jazz movement. Their album, DO YOUR OWN THING, combined their original fusion-jazz and rare groove sound, with a new club music sensibility. Taylor also made several guest appearances, notably for the Pogues and U2. The band’s subsequent work saw a return to the Hammond groove-jazz style of Jimmy McGriff and Jimmy Smith.